Among other things, I got my Lady to let her maid, Mrs. Anne, to ride all the way on horseback, and she rides exceeding well; and so I called her my clerk, that she went to wait upon me.  I met two little schoolboys going with pitchers of ale to their schoolmaster to break up against Easter, and I did drink of some of one of them and give him two pence.  By and by we come to two little girls keeping cows, and I saw one of them very pretty, so I had a mind to make her ask my blessing, and telling her that I was her godfather, she asked me innocently whether I was not Ned Wooding, and I said that I was, so she kneeled down and very simply called, “Pray, godfather, pray to God to bless me,” which made us very merry, and I gave her twopence.  In several places, I asked women whether they would sell me their children, but they denied me all, but said they would give me one to keep for them, if I would.  Mrs. Anne and I rode under the man that hangs upon Shooter’s Hill,

[Shooter’s Hill, Kent, between the eighth and ninth milestones on the Dover road.  It was long a notorious haunt of highwaymen.  The custom was to leave the bodies of criminals hanging until the bones fell to the ground.]

and a filthy sight it was to see how his flesh is shrunk to his bones.  So home and I found all well, and a deal of work done since I went.  I sent to see how my wife do, who is well, and my brother John come from Cambridge.  To Sir W. Batten’s and there supped, and very merry with the young ladles.  So to bed very sleepy for last night’s work, concluding that it is the pleasantest journey in all respects that ever I had in my life.

12th.  Up among my workmen, and about 7 o’clock comes my wife to see me and my brother John with her, who I am glad to see, but I sent them away because of going to the office, and there dined with Sir W. Batten, all fish dinner, it being Good Friday.  Then home and looking over my workmen, and then into the City and saw in what forwardness all things are for the Coronacion, which will be very magnificent.  Then back again home and to my chamber, to set down in my diary all my late journey, which I do with great pleasure; and while I am now writing comes one with a tickett to invite me to Captain Robert Blake’s buriall, for whose death I am very sorry, and do much wonder at it, he being a little while since a very likely man to live as any I knew.  Since my going out of town, there is one Alexander Rosse taken and sent to the Counter by Sir Thomas Allen, for counterfeiting my hand to a ticket, and we this day at the office have given order to Mr. Smith to prosecute him.  To bed.